Google taking a few more minutes out of our day

In an article that's quite close to home, the boffins at Google have now launched a site to track bushfires that are currently ravaging parts of Australia.

Traditionally, in Australia, the progress of bushfires was reported through TV and radio, with those affected (or who knew people in the affected areas) keenly watching and listening for the status of the fire. This now introduces a new medium, that allows people to witness the scale and location of the fires online.

While, I believe that the engineers at Google had entirely altruistic motives when they developed this site, my cynical side definitely highlights the fact that this falls in line with Google's strategy of capturing more of your time. By becoming more reliant on Google, that allows more possibilities for them to sell you advertising.

On a practical note, what the page presents is a one-way communication from the fire authority to the end-user, with Google as the middle-man. This communication is not real-time and has a degree of error. Ironically, the radio reporting during this emergency is far more interactive, with people (victims and fire-officers) calling in to provide current, up-to-date information on the fire.

If you were stuck in a bush-fire, which service would you trust?